Many martial arts and other sporting tournaments frequently use a number of square competition rings outlined with masking tape on a gymnasium, recreation center, convention center, or other large floor or horizontal surface. As the venue typically changes from competition to competition, and is typically a rented or borrowed facility, a standard and permanent configuration is not practical and the ring markings must be temporary. The competitors or hosts must layout the rings with tools and tape that do not mar, damage, or leave residual markings or material on the rented/borrowed facility floor. Also, as discussed later in this disclosure, there is typically substantial time pressure to accomplish the task.
Many martial arts and other sporting tournament rings are typically separated by corridors (also called walk-ways or aisle-ways) that provide space for judges, spectators, or competitors to sit, stand, or walk. Each martial arts competition ring is typically a 14-18 ft. square, and may contain a parallel set of “sparring stripes” or other “face-off” location indicators near the center of the ring. Each of the preferred two sparring stripes is located 18 inches from the ring's center, and is perpendicular to two sides of the ring and to the judges' chairs that are typically placed in a corridor along one of said two sides. These sparring stripes serve as face-off points for the two competitors when they are free-sparring.
It is important for the martial arts competition ring to be an accurate polygon, for example, an accurate square, and the sparring stripes or other face-off location indicators to be correctly located so that one competitor does not have an unfair advantage over the other. For example, no sparring points can be scored while a competitor is outside the ring, so having one competitor starting off closer to the ring perimeter edge would be unfair. Likewise, a ring that is of an odd shape or is smaller than normal could cause a competitor to score fewer points over another competitor. Therefore, the challenge in laying out each ring is to consistently establish the ring's center and sparring stripes, allow for uniform corridors between adjacent rings, and ensure the ring itself is square and of the proper size. Accomplishing this challenge enhances the fairness of the competition and also the aesthetics and operability of the overall site layout (the group of rings in the particular facility, also called the “overall pattern”).
Preparation time for layout-out of the rings in the rented or borrowed facility is allotted prior to commencing the tournament, but it is usually a very short time, such as 3 to 4 hours. Typically, only one or two people are designated to layout the tournament's rings (also called “establishing”, “mapping and taping” or “measuring and marking” the rings). That short amount of time, coupled with the need to customize the overall site layout to the particular facility and the availability of few people to perform the task, places an inordinate level of pressure on those charged with establishing the rings, and on the tournament host and coordinator, who wish to start the competition on time.
After determining the desired overall site layout and location of ring baselines, each individual Taekwondo ring needs to be located and established within the overall site layout. Two conventional methods have been used in the past to establish each martial arts ring, specifically: 1) methods that utilize a pre-made, square, flexible-template made out of flexible material such as carpet, cloth or rope, and 2) plotting methods utilizing measuring tapes, carpenter squares and the Pythagorean Theorem of a2+b2=c2 (also known as the more-practical 3-4-5 right triangle formula).
The flexible-template methods have the advantage of placing an existing square of fabric on the floor where the ring is to be. The flexible-template is comprised of a lightweight, easily portable fabric material, however, such soft material is prone to stretching or creases, which results in a less-than-accurate square. Also, most commonly-available sheet materials, such as carpet or fabric, do not come in 16-foot widths and therefore multiple panels must be cut and sewn together to attain the final 16-foot square template.
The plotting methods have the advantage of making it possible to establish a square with mathematical precision by using rigid steel tape-measures and easily portable carpentry tools like T-squares. However, this approach is very time-consuming and labor-intensive compared to the flexible-template method.
The inventors are aware of other tools, such as carpenter and construction tools, disclosed for laying out tennis courts, playing fields, or other constructions on the ground. These carpenter and construction tools, however, tend to be difficult to use accurately and/or quickly. While some or all of these tools may be effective for laying out a single rectangular field or structure, the time involved in using any of these tools to create an accurate rectangle is substantial and is the same or substantially the same each time a rectangle is marked. Thus, these tools offer no way for quick and accurate marking of multiple rectangles in succession. Examples from the patent literature are discussed below.
Most of the carpenter and construction tools may be called “string-based,” wherein corner pieces are fixed to the ground by stake or pins, and strings extend between the fixed corner pieces. With such tools, the reference point(s) for the entire layout is/are one or more corners pieces placed on the desired outer perimeter of the shape being indicated and marked. Only the corner pieces of such systems are rigid, so that staking the corner pieces to the ground is required unless four people are recruited to hold down each corner piece. Even with said staking, the string-based systems tend to be inaccurate as they comprise relatively small rigid corners placed far apart and connected only with flexible strings or wires.
One example of such a string-based system is Covell (U.S. Pat. No. 299,625, issued Jun. 3, 1884). Covell discloses a system for laying out tennis grounds, wherein L-shaped (90-degree) corner pieces are fixed to the ground by spikes at the intended corners of the tennis court. Each corner piece includes a vertical post at its corner, and short, open channels on the two arms of the “L”. String is wrapped around the vertical post and extends along both of said two arms, passing through the two short, open channels to extend to distant corner pieces of the same design. The alignment of the string in the open channels is used to indicate whether the stings are extending at 90 degrees to each other toward the distant corner pieces.
McPhail (U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,343, issued Jun. 20, 1978) discloses a system of four complex corner pieces that are staked into the ground at the intended corners of a wall or footing. Each corner piece includes crossed strips that define straight edges for aligning masons lines. As in Covell, string/lines are aligned relative to portions of the corner pieces to indicate whether the sting/lines are extending at 90 degrees to each other toward distant corner pieces.
Stay, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,595, issued Apr. 28, 1992) disclose an “Accu-Square Marking System” for a foundation/perimeter for a building structure. The Stay, et al. system comprises triangular corner pieces that are staked to the ground, side-wires that extend between the corners pieces and two cross-wires that extend diagonally across the center of the square being marked. The diagonal cross-wires do not attach or connect to each other, but merely cross over each other at or near the center of the square, depending on the accuracy of the placement of corner pieces and side-wires. The midpoints of the diagonal cross-wires comprise indicia, and, if said midpoints cross over each other, the user is generally assured that the corners form right angles and the device will accurately depict a square.
Raub (U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,243, issued Nov. 14, 1989) discloses a flexible outer boundary demarcation element, the ends of which are joined to one another to form an endless element of a length greater than the perimeter of the playing court to be marked. Four loop segments are formed in the endless element, each of the loop segments forming a corner loop of predetermined circumference, the element crossing itself at a corner point at the base of the each loop at a generally right angle. Each corner loop is staked or pinned to the ground, with the intention that the endless element will therefore form a square shape.
Another group of carpenter and constructions tools, for marking a playing field or a building structure, comprise a single plate from which a single string extends. The plate is typically staked or otherwise fixed on a perimeter, or at the center, of the playing field or building foundation being marked, and the string is pulled to various locations as guided by radial markings on the plate. Examples of such systems are Viens (U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,383, issued Jun. 27, 1995), and Eisenmenger (U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,782, issued Apr. 10, 2001).
Therefore, in view of the above methods and patent literature, there is still a need for a competition/exhibition ring layout tool and method that allow quick, convenient, and accurate establishment of multiple rings in a short amount of time. The preferred embodiment of the invention meets these needs, by providing an easy-to-transport, -assemble, and -use, substantially rigid, template device that allows a single operator to quickly establish multiple sport/game rings or other geometric shapes on a floor. The preferred template device allows a single operator to layout a martial arts or other sporting competition ring and its sparring stripes accurately and without repeated adjustment and manipulation of the template device, and then to quickly move the template device to the next locations for additional rings without breaking down the tool and/or substantial manipulation of the tool. The preferred template device, once set up for use, remains as a single, substantially rigid, but light-weight, template that may be shifted to many positions on a single floor for making many rings in a fraction of the time required for traditional methods and tools.